U.N. treaty to fight doping in sport to be put into effect before the Winter Olympics in Turin

United Nations treaty to fight doping in sports was unanimously passed Wednesday by the 191 UNESCO member states. The treaty, however, will not be enforced until 30 member governments ratify it. Then, only those that have ratified the accord will be bound by it. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is hoping the treaty will be put into effect before the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, which starts Feb. 10.

The International Convention Against Doping in Sport, which would require regular doping tests and common penalties, seeks to draw governments into what has long been mainly the domain of national sporting federations, the AP reports.

The agreement could help governments fight against "a scourge that flouts the ethical and social values of sport while putting the health of athletes at risk," UNESCO said in a statement.

The accord would require members to adopt policies similar to the world anti-doping code, setting out uniform rules and sanctions across all sports and all countries. All Olympic sports federations have adopted the code.

The accord comes nearly two years after IOC president Jacques Rogge and UNESCO director-general Koichiro Matsuura signed a cooperation deal to fight doping.
A.M.